Thesis

Comparison of the mechanical properties of different wound care dressings used in lower limb arthroplasty

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Awarding institution
  • University of Strathclyde
Date of award
  • 2015
Thesis identifier
  • T14216
Person Identifier (Local)
  • 201458798
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Abstract
  • The population of the UK is, on average, getting older and heavier. The result of this is an increased prevalence of osteoarthritis, and consequently, increased numbers of Total Knee Replacement (TKR) procedures carried out. On completion of TKR surgery, a large dressing is placed over the wound and adhered to the surrounding skin. With the wound being located over the joint, the dressing must have suitable mechanical properties to accommodate a wide range of movement at the joint. A dressing with unsuitable properties can cause many problems, the main one being blistering. The aim of this project is to test the mechanical properties of different orthopaedic dressings to assess their suitability and unsuitability as TKR dressings. The Bose ElectroForce 3200 test instrument was used to carry out tensile tests on different dressing samples. Samples were strained up to 25% to mimic the wound strain experienced with 90° of knee flexion, and the stress response measured. The results showed that AQUACEL dressing experienced the lowest stresses and has the lowest calculated Young's Modulus (0.327MPa), compared with Mepore dressing which has a calculated Young's Modulus of 16.33MPa. It can be concluded from this investigation that from the dressings tested, AQUACEL exhibits the most suitable mechanical properties for the use on TKR wounds.
Resource Type
DOI
Date Created
  • 2015
Former identifier
  • 1247729

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